NanoH2O Awarded $400,000 Grant from U.S. Office of Naval Research

(Nanowerk News) NanoH2O, a global provider of membranes for desalination and water reuse, today announced that the company has been awarded a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) to evaluate its high-flux membranes for shipboard desalination systems. Tests conducted by ONR at the U.S. Navy Seawater Desalination Test Facility at Port Hueneme in California will accelerate NanoH2O’s research into fouling resistance as well as the optimization of desalination systems for high-flux operations. This research will also provide a benchmark for comparing NanoH2O’s breakthrough technology to existing reverse osmosis (RO) membranes.

“NanoH2O’s ultimate objective is to alter the fundamental economics of commercial desalination by addressing productivity and fouling issues inherent in traditional RO membranes,” says Jeff Green, CEO of NanoH2O. “These funds will go a long way towards validating our novel technology and complementing our research as we demonstrate the advantages of our membranes for shipboard systems.”

Operating in near-coastal waters, naval ships seek to address membrane-fouling issues with desalination systems that are robust under a variety of challenging conditions encountered by the military. However, traditional reverse osmosis (RO) membranes tend to naturally foul over time, leading to irreversible productivity limitations and costly replacements.

With nanomaterials encapsulated directly into the membrane’s polymer layer, NanoH2O’s membranes exhibit high permeability (flux) while maintaining industry-standard rejection of salt and other contaminants. Additionally, decreasing the physical size of the units is critical to shipboard and forward operations. These energy-efficiency advantages enable desalination systems to be built with up to a 40% smaller footprint when compared to conventional shipboard systems.

“As part of our Future Naval Capabilities (FNC) program, ONR is researching viable, energy-efficient technologies that will reduce costs and enhance reliability,” said Paul Armistead, of the U.S. Office of Naval Research. “NanoH2O’s membrane technology offers the potential to increase shipboard desalination system productivity in a compact footprint, and we look forward to investigating the merits of higher flux reverse osmosis membranes for military use.”

About NanoH2O

NanoH2O is a global provider of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes that leverage nanotechnology to alter the fundamental economics of desalination. With freshwater scarcity an alarming worldwide issue, nanocomposite membranes represent a major performance advancement for desalination, increasing both energy efficiency and productivity. By combining breakthrough nanomaterials with proven polymer technology, NanoH2O’s membranes exhibit the highest permeability (flux) on the market while maintaining industry-standard rejection of salt and other contaminants.